down, and looked upon the new theatre in Co"vent Garden, which will be very fine."

LINCOLN's INN FIELDS 1661 and 1662.

Sir William Davenant engaged Betterton and the rest of Rhodes' Company, who were sworn by the Lord Chamberlain to serve the Duke of York at the Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields-to these were added-Harris-Price-Richards and Blagden-the 5 following did not join the company till about a year after they had begun-Smith-Sandford-Medbourn -Young-Norris-the Women were Mrs. Davenport-Mrs. Saunderson-Mrs. Davies-Mrs. Long -Mrs. Gibbs-Mrs. Norris-Mrs. Holden-Mrs. Jennings.

Davenant boarded the four first, who were his principal actresses, in his own house. (Downes.)

From the first establishment of the stage till after the Restoration, the female characters were played by boys-there may however have been some exceptions to the general rule the Court Beggar was acted at the Cockpit in 1632—in the last act Lady Strangelove says "if you have a short speech or two, the "boy's a pretty actor, and his mother can play her part "-women-actors now grow in request."

Prynne says in 1633-"they have now their femaleplayers in Italy, and other foreign parts-and in

"Michaelmas 1629 they had French women-actors "in a play personated at Black-friars, to which there "was a great resort."

In the Ball 1639, Freshwater, speaking of the plays at Paris, says

"Yet the women are the best actors, they play "Their own parts, a thing much desir'd in England."

In Davenant's patent (and doubtless in Killegrew's) there was a clause to this effect-"Whereas the wo"men's parts in plays have hitherto been acted by "men in the habits of women, at which some have "taken offence, we do permit and give leave for the “time to come, that all women's parts be acted by "women." (Dram. Censor 1811.)

According to Downes, Davenant having completed his company and finished his new Theatre in L. I. F., began to act in the Spring of 1662, with new scenes and decorations, which were the first introduced in England on a public stage-but it appears from Pepys, that Davenant began to act in the last week of June 1661.

Scenes had been before used in private exhibitions -and Davenant had introduced them, probably in a less perfect state, about 4 years before, not indeed in a play, but in an entertainment entitled "the cruelty "of the Spaniards in Peru, expressed by vocal and "instrumental music and by art of perspective in "scenes-represented daily at the Cockpit in D. L. "1658"-a performance which Cromwell from his hatred to the Spaniards permitted, tho' he prohibited all other theatrical exhibitions. (Malone.)

Davenant began with 2 or 3 of his own plays, which had been previously rehearsed at Apothecaries' Hall. (Downes.)

Davenant having acted musical pieces before the Restoration, Pepys for some time calls his theatre the Opera, notwithstanding that regular Tragedies and Comedies were acted there.

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July 21661. Pepys says "I went to Sir William "Davenant's Opera; this being the 4th day that it "has begun, and the first that I have seen it. To-day "was acted the second part of The Siege of Rhodes."" Siege of Rhodes in 2 parts-Solyman the Magnificent = Betterton: Alphonso Harris: Villerius (the Grand Master) = Lilliston: the Admiral Blagden: Roxalana = Mrs. Davenport: Ianthe Mrs. Saunderson: all the parts were justly and excellently performed, and the play was acted 12 days together without interruption, and with great applause. (Downes.)

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These tragedies are written in rhyme-they were well calculated to please when Love and Honour were the order of the day-they are however but moderate productions.

July 4. Pepys says-" I went to the theatre, but "strange to see this house, that used to be so thronged, "now empty since the Opera began; and so will "continue for a while, I believe."

Aug. 15. Pepys says " To the Opera, which "begins again to day with the Wits, never yet acted."

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Wits. Elder Pallatine Betterton: Younger Pallatine = Harris : Sir Morglay Thwack Underhill : Lady Ample = Mrs. Davenport :-this C. was well acted in the other parts, and performed 8 days succes

sively-(Downes)-it is a good play-it had been acted originally at Black Friars, and was now revived with alterations-these alterations are not material -but the dialogue is considerably improved, and two short scenes are added-the Wits was revived at L. I. F. Aug. 19 1726.

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Nov. 4.

Betterton acted the Bondman.

Dec. 16. Pepys says-" To the Opera, where "there was a new play-Cutter of Coleman Street -it being the first time, the pay was doubled." Cutter of Coleman Street. Col. Jolly Betterton : Cutter Underhill : Worm = Sandford :

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Puny= Nokes: Truman Senior Lovel: Truman Junior= Harris : Parson Soaker Dacres :

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Will-Price : Mrs. Aurelia-Mrs. Betterton: Mrs. Lucia-Mrs. Gibbs Jane Mrs. Long :-(Downes)-the scene lies in London in the year 1658, and the Fanatics of the time are ridiculed with a good deal of humour— the serious scenes of this C. are dull, but on the whole it is a good play-it was without reason considered as a satire on the Cavaliers on which Cowley in his preface observes, that having belonged to that party all the time of their misfortunes, he must be a madman to choose that of their restitution to quarrel with them-Dennis, in his dedication of the Comical Gallant, says that Dryden informed him, he was present on the first day, when this play was barbarously treated-Dennis adds that it had been since acted with general applause-and Downes tells us that it was performed a whole week with a full audi

ence.

Cutter in old language means a swaggerer hence the title of this play-(Malone-see London Prodigal

p. 474)-it was originally called the Guardian-in 1641-2 as the Prince passed through Cambridge in his way to York, he was entertained with the representation of the Guardian, which Cowley says was neither written nor acted, but rough-drawn by him, and repeated by the scholars. (Dr. Johnson.)

Cutter is a much better play than the Guardiangreat part of the dialogue was written afresh-the plot was improved, but not very materially altered.

Hamlet and Love and Honour were certainly revived soon after Davenant opened his theatre-as Downes does not exactly say when a revived play was performed, it is impossible to ascertain the point precisely.

Hamlet. Hamlet-Betterton: Ghost-Richards : King=Lilliston: Horatio=Harris: Polonius=Lovel: 1st Grave digger-Underhill: Queen-Mrs. Davenport: Ophelia Mrs. Saunderson :-no succeeding T. for many years gained more money and reputation to the company than this-(Downes)-Hamlet was one of Betterton's best parts.

Love and Honour was written by Davenant— Alvaro (Prince of Savoy)=Betterton: Count Prospero Harris: Leonel (Prince of Parma)=Price : Evandra (daughter of the Duke of Milan)=Mrs. Davenport :-this play had a great run, and produced to the company much gain and estimation from the town-it was richly dressed, as on this occasion the King, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Oxford, gave their Coronation suits to Betterton, Harris, and Price. (Downes.)

The most extravagant notions of Love and Honour were in fashion for several years after the Resto